Shadow House
by Agent Dark Moose
Summary: [DEAD] There exists a house that holds many unspeakable terrors. Once one enters, it is said that they'll never return. Who would be better to investigate it than the fearless Jaganshi Hiei? But is he fearless enough to overcome the horrors within it...?
1. The House Not to Be Entered

**Disclaimer:** **Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi, Shonen Jump, FUNimation, etc. However, I _do _own the idea for this story. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.**

**Warning(s): **This story contains utter horror. I myself had to have help writing a few of the scenes for lack of nerves. I highly suggest that if you can't handle something like this, then you don't read it at all. I will not be held accountable for anything that happens to someone if they do not read this and act without thinking of consequences.

**Opening Notes: **This is somewhat of a prologue, which is why it's rather short. n.n; Also, the characters in this aren't from the series, and are just random children that I came up with. The only part they play is an introduction to the story... Yeah. Don't panic; we'll get to the YYH characters next chapter...

_Proceed with caution._

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**Shadow House**

**Chapter One: The House Not To Be Entered**

**-**

"_You _go in!"

"No, _you _go in!"

"There's no way in hell that I'm going in that house!"

"Stop swearing. You're not good at it... Besides, Anna's here. You're not s'posed to cuss in front of girls."

The small, red-haired girl crossed her arms in defiance, glaring up at her two friends, specifically the taller one. "He can cuss if he damn well pleases."

One of the boys sighed, obviously giving up. As his two companions proceeded to keep talking, his green-eyed gaze wandered up to the building that lay before them at the end of the dirt path. A shudder ran up his spine, and he wrung his hands together nervously.

"Hey! How 'bout we all go in together?" the girl called Anna piped up. Her tone implied that she wasn't frightened in the least, almost as if she was excited about the situation. "What do you think, Gabrielle?"

The aforementioned youth tore his eyes away from the dilapidating house, somewhat startled of the prospect of entering. "I-I'm not sure... What if there's something in there that'll kill us?"

The other male snorted, grinning mockingly. "I bet you're _scared!_"

Gabrielle's fists clenched. "I am not! Just shut it, Damien!"

"You're just a big chicken!" the boy, presumably Damien, crowed, imitating a bird while making clucking sounds. "Wittle Gabweeal's _so_ fwightened of a big, bad house! Maybe the wittle baby needs his _mommy!_"

Gabrielle lept at his friend, punching him in the face. The two were soon brought into a brawl, only stopping when Anna pried them apart.

"Stop it! Let's just go in the house and see what's in there! We'll only stay for five minutes!" she cried, and the boys reluctantly agreed.

As they approached the chipped, wooden door, the porch creaked under them, the rotting boards threatening to collapse. Gabrielle, having been pushed to the front of the group, opened the door slowly, his actions hesitant. Contrary to what he said earlier, it was obvious that he was afraid of what ever lay beyond.

As the door eased open, the minimal light from outside shown into the shadowed hallway. All three of the children let out sounds of disgust and fright as they saw the blood-stained walls and rug, along with the shredded curtains that covered the two small windows that were positioned in the wall adjacent from the entrance. Between the windows as a large, empty canvas, the normally white sheet dotted with splashes of a dark, crimson color. The blotches of red held a black tint to them, giving off the look of blood.

A soft whimper came from Anna as they slowly filed into the hall, her confidence depleted. "E-Er, m-maybe we s-should just leave... O-Or only s-stay for a m-minute..."

However, before any of the others could reply, a soft 'click' sounded from behind them. The children slowly turned around, terror filling them as they saw that the door had shut by itself.

Damien was the first to move. He dashed over to the handle and turned it rapidly, shaking it while in a panic. The door showed no sign of opening, nor did the handle turn completely. Anna began to cry softly and she latched onto Gabrielle, who clung to her in return. Damien soon gave up on his attempts to open the door, and instead ran over to one of the windows. Yet his struggling proved futile, as the window made no move to budge.

The boy turned back to his friends, his own face streaked with both sweat and tears. Anna shook more violently, and Gabrielle found that he was trembling as well.

An ethereal shriek erupted from the uppermost levels of the house, followed by a terrible growling noise. Damien and Gabrielle met each other's gazes, the latter being the first to speak.

"So... This is it, I guess."

"...Yeah."

"...Damien?"

"What?"

"...Thanks for being my friend."

Gabrielle received no reply as the other boy was slaughtered in front of him.

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**Ending Notes:** Well, I hope that left everyone on a chilling note! If you're paranoid after this, it's not my fault... I probably won't get any sleep after writing that.

Don't worry; in the next chapter, we'll be back to the Yu Yu Hakusho characters...


	2. Entrance Hall

**Disclaimer:** **Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi, Shonen Jump, FUNimation, etc. However, I _do _own the idea for this story. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.**

**Warning(s): **This story contains utter horror. I myself had to have help writing a few of the scenes for lack of nerves. I highly suggest that if you can't handle something like this, then you don't read it at all. I will not be held accountable for anything that happens to someone if they do not read this and act without thinking of consequences.

**Opening Notes: **'Ello all. I'm glad that a few people liked this. n.n

I just realized that the chapters will be rather short. I don't intend to write a novel-sized story, and will probably have the story progress room-by-room. ( Don't worry; something exciting will happen each chapter, it won't just be Hiei wandering around, opening cupboards... )

Also, Hieisbestbuddy! I'm sorry to say that this won't be a yaoi story. However, I've got many other stories planned, most of which will include yaoi. ( And the majority of the pairings will be YuusukexHiei, if not all of them! )

_Proceed with caution._

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**Shadow House**

**Chapter Two: Entrance Hall**

**-**

"This had better be worth my time, Koenma."

The demigod's light brown eyes flicked up to his 'employee', shuddering as he took in the dark feeling he emitted. The demon's piercing crimson gaze met with his, and he gulped softly. _'He's the only one on the team left. If he can't handle it, Hell's definitely freezing over... I might have to contact the guys down there about that...'_

Taking a deep breath, Koenma spoke, shuffling a few papers in his hand as well. "W-Well... We have a solo mission for you, Hiei, if you're willing to call it that. You'll-."

The youkai called Hiei interrupted him, his intimidating voice silencing the Prince of the Reikai immediately. "Why does it have to be me? Why not send the Detective?"

Koenma waved he hand in the air. "That'll be explained in a minute. As I was saying, _this _is your assignment..."

The large television monitor lowered in front of his desk, causing Hiei to move from his position against the wall in order to see it. The shot of a large, dilapidating house appeared, though it was impossible to make out any details due to the quality of the image. After glancing over it for a few moments, the Jaganshi turned back to Koenma.

The demigod folded his hands together, his disposition becoming very serious. "Over the past two centuries, there have been several disappearances and odd occurrences that were reported to have happened at or near this building, the most recent being the deaths of three children. Father has only just determined this as a severe case that is to be attended to immediately.

"The 'House Not to Be Entered', as it's been titled by the people who live near it, is located in the outermost reaches of the elusive county of Transylvania. Surely, you've heard of it?"

Hiei nodded, and so Koenma continued. "We need to send the Tantei to investigate the House, to check if it's not just a demon or such causing havoc. Sadly, though, Yuusuke and Kuwabara have declined this mission, though I doubt they would be able to handle some of the things that have been said to happen."

"What of Kurama?" Hiei questioned, his arms once again crossed over his chest.

Koenma shook his head. "For some reason, he didn't accept this either... It is a possibility that he knows something about the House that Reikai intelligence does not, and for that fact, he wishes not to venture there.

"Anyway... You're the only one left for this mission. If you back out, we'd have to deploy the Spirit Defense Force, and then Father would be infuriated with my own team... No doubt he'd add another decade to your probation, if not something worse."

A soft growl escaped the Jaganshi before he replied. "Your threats are meaningless to me, Koenma. I'm not a lap-dog that can be called upon for every trivial manner."

The demigod's eyes narrowed. "Maybe a year in the Underworld Prison would change your mind..."

Unseen by anyone, Hiei's eyes widened slightly before he shook his head to the side. "Hn. Fine."

A small smirk appeared on Koenma's visage as he settled back in his chair. "I knew you'd see it my way..."

-

Hiei snarled loudly as he toppled out of the spinning vortex, undeniably feeling nauseous. That would be the last time he trusted that fool of a ferry-girl to create a portal for him... The half-Koorime pushed himself to his feet, shaking the dust from his clothes before glancing at his surroundings.

He had arrived at the beginning of a dirt path that seemed to lead nowhere, judging by the fact that there was nothing but hills of dying grass in the area. The road he was on went over a ridge just ahead, which obscured what would be on the horizon. Exhaling deeply, he guessed that would be the direction in which to head, and began to walk that way in silence. It was unusual to be able to hear himself think on a mission, as Yuusuke and Kuwabara were usually arguing loudly over something, and Kurama would be trying to get them to stop...

Hiei soon reached the top of the ridge, having not bothered to use his agility to reach the destination faster. However, as he set his gaze on the wretched building in front of him, he hesitated.

Before the Jaganshi stood a dilapidating, two-story Victorian-style mansion. The paint, most likely once a bright red, had faded to black with rust and decay, having also chipped off in several spots. The shutters had either fallen off or were hanging at an angle; very few were in a good state. The porch looked like it would break at any moment if someone was to step on it, and the balcony above it appeared ready to collapse. Glancing around the front of the house, Hiei saw that it stretched on for a while, ending in what looked like a large, rather eerie courtyard in the very back.

The hiyoukai found himself biting his lip awkwardly, though he shook his head quickly. There was no reason for this place to intimidate him... It was only a demon playing with illusions, and all he had to do was find it, and then kill it...

Smirking slightly, Hiei made his way towards the small mansion. As he reached the wooden steps leading up to the porch, his eyes landed on a medium-sized tree that was off to the side of the path. It was dead; that made obvious by the shedding bark and lack of leaves, or any other sign of life, for that matter.

Yet what caught his attention wasn't the tree, but the make-shift swing hanging from one of the remaining strong branches. It was swaying back-and-forth violently, as if whoever was on it was intent on either breaking it, or falling off. The only problem with the picture was that the seat was empty, and there was no one around that could've shoved it and then ran off...

Hiei frowned; there wasn't any wind, either...

The swing was moving by itself.

Needless to say, this unnerved the youkai a bit, though he managed to push the unsettling thoughts to the back of his mind as he strode up to the door. The floorboards creaked menacingly beneath him, almost as if they were taunting him, forcing him to enter the House lest they break...

Fighting the urge to sneer at the wood below him ( which would've no doubt appeared odd ), Hiei raised a hand to the old doorknob, twisting it a second later. The door eased open, the rusty hinges screeching loudly. The shadowy light from outside filled the hallway, revealing the splashes of blood that were scattered over the walls and floor. The scent of death hung over every inch of the area, and the hiyoukai had to force down the desire to retch.

The entrance hall, as he seemed to be in, was a decent size. On the right there was a slightly-spiraled staircase that led to the darkened second floor, and on his direct left lay the entrance to another corridor. Across from him, on the opposite wall of the door, where two extravagant windows, though their garnet curtains were shredded. ( Hiei guessed that they hadn't always been such a deep red, judging by all of the bloodstains he had seen so far. ) Between them hung a large, floor-to-ceiling-sized painting. The Jaganshi merely glanced over it, though a second after he froze and slowly looked back.

The painting depicted a terrible, life-size beast. Words could hardly be used to describe such a monstrosity, save for the fact that it was rather dog-like in the face. The artist had used a rich ebony color for the creature's fur, and had used flame-like strokes of orange and yellow in the background. The beast's deadly talons were drenched with black blood, its knife-sized fangs bared in a snarl. Yet the only things that Hiei could stare at were the creature's eyes, which were a blazing shade of blue. The sapphire eyes seemed to trap him in their gaze, looking as if they were merely jewels embedded in the canvas.

Without his consent, the hiyoukai shuddered slightly, unsettled by the down-right _evil_ feeling that the picture emitted. Tearing his own crimson orbs away from the painting, he instead focused them on the hallway on his left, preparing to turn that way and begin the investigation. However, before he could set foot into the corridor, a piercing shriek echoed down from above, causing Hiei to immediately whirl around to face the stairs.

The landing was empty, though the screeches continued, sounding as if whatever was making them was in the same room as him. Needless to say, the pitch caused his ears to ache terribly. Wincing, the Jaganshi found himself moving towards the entrance of the hall and turning to face the door.

Once again, Hiei was confused. He was sure that he hadn't closed the door, and yet it had shut... Puzzled, the half-Koorime strode over to it and gave the handle a sharp tug.

Nothing happened.

Hiei yanked on it again, sure that this time it would be pulled off of its hinges, as he was using his youkai strength.

Once more, the door remained shut tight.

Biting his lip, concluded that the lock must've slipped, it only unlocked from the outside, and that the wind had caused it to close... Without realizing how pathetic those excuses were, the Jaganshi strode over to one of the windows, and struggled to push it up. Yet it seemed that they both had been sealed shut...

With his eyes wide, Hiei stumbled back into the center of the room, for the first time in his life feeling the panic of being trapped.

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**Ending Notes:** Lousy chapter, I know. I hate the ending... Meh. I tried.

Someone asked about fanart for this story. I'd say, good luck, and feel free to try... n.n

**Important Notice: I won't be updating for a week, as I'll be on a skiing trip. And that means _no computer_. I'm posting this chapter now before I go so that you'll have something to read while I'm gone. The next update will probably be a week after I return, at the most. (Or the least. It depends on how everything goes...)**

Ja'!


	3. Attic

**Disclaimer:** **Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi, Shonen Jump, FUNimation, etc. However, I _do _own the idea for this story. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.**

**Warning(s): **This story contains utter horror. I myself had to have help writing a few of the scenes for lack of nerves. I highly suggest that if you can't handle something like this, then you don't read it at all. I will not be held accountable for anything that happens to someone if they do not read this and act without thinking of consequences.

**Opening Notes: **Hello, 'all! I had a lovely time on my ski trip, thank you very much. XD But it's good to be back and writing.

I have to apologize for the delay. I just hit a complete block with this story... And it's only the third chapter! o.o; My brain just decided to die on me, so... yeah. Thanks for being patient!

_Proceed with caution.

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**Shadow House**

**Chapter Three: Attic**

_Biting his lip, he concluded that the lock must've slipped, it only unlocked from the outside, and that the wind had caused it to close... Without realizing how pathetic those excuses were, the Jaganshi strode over to one of the windows, and struggled to push it up. Yet it seemed that they both had been sealed shut..._

_With his eyes wide, Hiei stumbled back into the center of the room, for the first time in his life feeling the panic of being trapped._

_.-.-._

The half-Koorime shook his head, trying to clear it. It was only a damn house with a damn youkai... Nothing to be 'afraid' of...

Hiei scoffed before glancing up to the stairs. Whatever had let out that shriek was most likely on the second floor at the moment, as he hadn't seen anything come down. At that 'thing' he reckoned to be the demon he was after...

With a smirk, he strode over to the marble staircase. (At first this had seemed odd to him. From outside the house looked like it would be dusty and wrecked on the inside as well, though it was the complete opposite. Perhaps the youkai had put some kind of spell on it, or this was just another illusion...)

Hiei was about to place a hand on the banister when he recoiled it quickly. There appeared to be some sort of coating on it. He confirmed that it wasn't blood after sniffing it, but it wasn't paint, either. Whatever it was, his instincts were telling him not to touch it...

Using his agility, the Jaganshi reached the top of the stairs quickly. Unlike the ground level, this floor was more shadowed. The amount of blood had increased greatly, making it look as if it was one horrible finger-painting. Streaks of it ran across the walls, almost as if it was planned to be that way when it had been shed. There were large trails of the garnet liquid on the floor, as if something had been dragged across it while dying.

A small grimace came from Hiei before he set off down the hall. As he walked passed them, he saw that every single door was shut, apparently sealed to the framework. Similar to the front door's handle, the knobs were rusted and dirty, some hanging loosely in their sockets. The paint was chipping off in large strips, piling at the entrance to each room.

The half-Koorime made his way to a door at the end of the hall, deeming it a good place to start at. However, as soon as he placed his hand on the doorknob, another shriek sounded throughout the house, this time coming from above him. It was followed by identical screams, along with a loud thumping noise as if something was throwing itself at the ground above his head.

Hiei smirked darkly; the demon was above him, in what he realized to be the attic. He had it cornered... Needless to say, he was rather shocked by how quick and easy it was to find it. Wouldn't a youkai with the power over illusions be able to escape him for a bit longer?

Shaking his head in slight disappointment, the apparition wrenched the door open to reveal a shadowed and narrow staircase. There was no railing that a person could use to steady themselves with while climbing up the rickety and weak steps, nor any protection from the dripping walls.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, the hiyoukai leapt gracefully up the stairs, making as little noise as possible. He reached the top quickly, during the process of which he had banged his head against the underside of what appeared to be a trap door. The Jaganshi shoved the barricade up, subconsciously noting that the shrieks had abruptly stopped as soon as he did so. He scanned the dark room silently, his gaze instantly landing on the hunched figure in the corner.

At first Hiei thought he was staring at a corpse of some sort; that is, until the being moved slightly, making its distorted face visible. The flesh across its body was decayed, displaying the graying bones. The hair atop its head was incredibly thin and wispy, as if it were smoke. From what the apparition could tell, the creature's lips and eyelids had been removed, causing its blazing yellow-green eyes to shift around wildly without rest. At the end of its fingers were two-inch long claws, dull with age and use, while dagger-like fangs of the same size glistened from the foaming saliva that coated them. Dirty black rags hung off of its thin and gangly frame, the tattered fabric looking as if it were connected by merely a thread.

Upon reflex, Hiei drew his katana, instinctively sizing the creature up as if it were an opponent. (Which it probably was.) However, he faltered when he noticed that it had no ki at all...

The hiyoukai frowned. _'If there's no energy, then it can't possibly be a demon... But if it's not that, then what-?'_

He had no more time to ponder when the beast suddenly lunged at him, snarling that a rabid animal. The foam-like saliva dribbled down its lips, its teeth and claws bared for attack. Hiei leapt out of the way, watching as the talons sailed through the air where his face had been moments before. He made to swing his katana at the being, but he was forced to dodge once again, taken aback by its rapid movements. For such a frail-looking thing, it was incredibly agile, and he had to evade several more attacks before he could land one of his own.

As the blade connected with the beast's forearm, it let out an ear-splitting screech; Hiei gasped softly as the impossibly high pitch reached his enhanced hearing. Without his consent, one of his hands released the hilt of his katana, instead choosing to clamp over an ear. Unintentionally, his concentration lapsed, and the creature took this to its advantage.

A yell of surprise and slight pain escaped the Jaganshi as he felt fangs close around his shoulder while talons dug into his back. He looked down wildly only to find the sickly green gaze of the beast staring back at him. The scent of blood filled his senses, and he knew it to be his own. It was licking at the garnet liquid as it streamed from the gashes before it started to rake its claws across his back, tearing at the flesh and clothes like a ravenous wolf.

With a cry of rage, Hiei began to struggle against its surprisingly vice-like grip, eventually throwing it off of him; his actions also caused more damage to himself, though he took no notice of it. Backing away to regain ground, he reclaimed his fighting stance, ignoring the blood as it slid down his back and shoulder.

The creature pushed itself back up, running its long, pale tongue over the crimson coated its mouth. It seemed to smile at Hiei mockingly, as if teasing him with his own blood.

The Jaganshi snarled angrily, and dashed toward the beast once more, surprised when it made no move to dodge. He aimed his katana for the creature's neck, the edge glinting menacingly. It would never be able to get out of the way in time... This was it. In a matter of seconds, the wretched thing would be dead...

Hiei's attack was brought to a halt when the being caught the blade in its hand, a disturbing grin upon its face. The hiyoukai's eyes widened in shock, not believing what had happened. He was only brought to his senses when he was hurled through the air, colliding with a wall a moment later. Hiei fell to the ground, plaster and debris landing atop him. Growling viciously, he pushed himself up, his own fangs bared in fury as he looked up just in time to see the creature shatter the katana with its skeletal hands.

With a snarl, the half-Koorime flung himself at the beast, his crimson eyes blazing with a tangible anger. The being met his attack head-on, its animalistic style now rival to Hiei's. The Jaganshi's own talons raked through the thing's skin, tearing at the bones beneath it. He aimed for its livid green orbs, digging into them even as they burst, blood streaming down his hands.

When the fit eventually subsided, all that remained of the creature was a pile of disfigured flesh and fractured bones. Hiei stood above the mutilated corpse, literally drenched in its blood. He stayed in that position for several minutes before he backed away, stumbling over the shards of his katana. With a last glance at the mound of blood, organs, and flesh, he ducked back down the trap door.

Once he had gotten halfway down the flight of stairs, Hiei slumped against one of the damp walls, taking a deep breath. He hadn't lost control of his anger like that in a while... But that katana had served him for as long as he could remember, and to see it broken in the thing's hands as if it were as fragile as a twig...

Hiei shook his head, exhaling deeply once more. He continued down the stairs, pushing the issue to the back of his mind. At the moment, he had more pressing matters to deal with...

Such as, what he had just slaughtered wasn't the youkai he was searching for. (He still didn't know what it had been.) And now he was without his sword, with only his youki to rely on...

A small smirk graced Hiei's lips. Such a challenge may prove... _fun_...

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**Ending Notes: **Whoo. That chapter was a bit hard to write... and Hiei was rather OOC at the end. Keh. Ah well, I had fun. n.n; 'Hope that everyone likes it! 

There's not much else to say this time... Though, a review would be nice... D


	4. Panic Room

**Disclaimer:** **Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi, Shonen Jump, FUNimation, etc. However, I _do _own the idea for this story. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.**

**Warning(s): **This story contains utter horror. I myself had to have help writing a few of the scenes for lack of nerves. I highly suggest that if you can't handle something like this, then you don't read it at all. I will not be held accountable for anything that happens to someone if they do not read this and act without thinking of consequences.

**Opening Notes: **I'm sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. I had to update three other stories as well, and I got kind of overwhelmed. n.n; Plus, I had a bit of a writer's block on how to start this, but I got an idea while I was getting towels out of the linen closet...

Eh heh...

Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews, by the way!

To Bluespark 'In Hiding.': No, I don't have a name for the attic creature. Call him Billy, or whatever. I think that things that remain nameless are much more terrifying than those with a title.

There's a bit of humor at the beginning. Enjoy, as it's going to be very, _very_ rare.

_Proceed with caution._

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**Shadow House**

**Chapter Four: Panic Room**

_Hiei shook his head, exhaling deeply once more. He continued down the stairs, pushing the issue to the back of his mind. At the moment, he had more pressing matters to deal with..._

_Such as, what he had just slaughtered wasn't the youkai he was searching for. (He still didn't know what it had been.) And now he was without his sword, with only his youki to rely on..._

_A small smirk graced Hiei's lips. Such a challenge may prove... **fun**..._

.-.-.-.

A vicious snarl came from the hiyoukai as he stumbled out of the closet. He clawed at the navy towel that had wrapped itself around his head, smothering his face in an attempt to suffocate him. As he pulled it off for a second, giving himself time to take a small breath of air, a bed sheet flew from the wardrobe and flung itself around him.

Hiei growled as he fell to the ground, his arms bound to his sides tightly. He kicked and thrashed about violently before resorting to biting the towel. Oddly enough, it let out a high-pitched shriek while dropping to the floor, where it remained limp.

The Jaganshi bit the sheet as well, and it too screamed and fell away, becoming a heap on the ground. Now that he was free, Hiei leapt to his feet and slammed the closet door shut, abruptly stopping the attack of several rabid pillows.

Once he was sure that the door wouldn't spring open and allow him to be attacked by more possessed bedding, Hiei stepped away. He shook his head, muttering to himself as he continued on his way down the hall.

"That was absurd..." he murmured, his next comment taking on a sarcastic tone. "I'm beginning to think that this demon's wrong in the head."

After a minute or so, the half-Koorime stopped in front of the next door, one of the few that gave off a sense of youki on this level. The wood was rather beaten up and chipped, and it looked as if something had dragged its claws across it several times. With a roll of his garnet eyes, he gripped the battered knob and shoved the door open, stepping through after it.

The room was empty.

Frowning, Hiei walked rather into the small room, glancing around for something unusual, besides the fact that it was void of furniture, paint, carpet, or anything else. (Even blood, for that matter.) He quickly became aware that there was no window, and felt a shudder run up his spine. He positively loathed small, enclosed places, and avoided them at all costs.

Coming to the decision that there was nothing worth seeing here, the Jaganshi made to leave. However, as a resounding _bang_ echoed throughout the room, he froze, spinning around a second later only to see that the door had closed behind him.

Hiei dashed over to it, hurriedly tugging at the handle, finding that it didn't make any move to budge. Growling, he hit the wood with his fist, frustration arising within him when it didn't split. This was the second time today that he had become trapped somewhere, and he mentally berated himself for being so careless.

Just as he was about to lunge at the door again, Hiei noticed that on this side, the many scratches actually made up letters and words. He assumed someone had carved the short 'poem' during their stay here, and that it was probably meaningless; however, he decided to read it anyway.

_Welcome to the Panic Room,  
__Where your dark fears are the theme.  
__And it is here that you will stay,  
__Until we hear you **scream**!_

Hiei raised a brow. Him? _Scream?_ A low chuckle escaped him as he looked around the room once more. Nothing seemed even remotely frightening about it, save for the fact that it was extremely small... and there were no windows... and no ways to escape...

The hiyoukai shook his head quickly to dispel those thoughts. He was being foolish. He hadn't experienced a claustrophobia-induced breakdown since he was a child. Even then, it had been under intense circumstances; apparently, the band of thieves that had "adopted" him thought that it would be funny to trap him in a miniscule cavern for a night, having discovered his 'fear' not long before.

Hiei bit his lip. He didn't like using the word 'fear'. It usually was used as a synonym for 'weakness', and that went hand-in-hand with 'fragile', 'pathetic', and 'breakable'. He didn't like any of those words. They gave off a sense of vulnerability, and that's one thing that he didn't want.

Another growl escaped the Jaganshi. This was stupid; he wasn't weak, and he wouldn't succumb to something as idiotic as 'claustrophobia'. He backed up into the center of the room, a rather arrogant look upon his visage as he began to think up a way to escape.

"Scream? I think not..."

.-.-.-.

It had long since been over an hour since he had been trapped in the room. Hiei had eventually given up on any sort of escape plan, becoming too distracted with his confinements to think clearly. He could barely see straight, being taunted by visions of the ceiling crashing down upon him, and other sights along those lines.

A quiet, almost inaudible whimper escaped the Jaganshi as he paced around the room, his eyes flickering over the blank walls. He paused near one of the corners, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, an anxious look on his face. He could hear the walls mocking him, laughing at his discomfort. In the recesses of his mind, he knew that he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw one of the walls move toward him. He shook his head, looking at it fully only to see that it hadn't budged at all. Without his consent, a whining noise emitted from his throat as he sank to the floor, unable to hide the fact that he was trembling.

Almost instantaneously, the barrier of Hiei's control shattered, and he collapsed into a fetal position, his hands becoming entangled in his ebony hair while his crimson eyes shut tightly. _'...No... The walls... T-They're closing in on me...'_

He whimpered loudly, trying to picture a wide open area. Anywhere would do... But his mind drew a blank, only showing him scenes of dreary caves and things akin to ningen elevators. "No... _No..._"

He began to thrash about slightly, shudders racking his small frame. His whining increased in pitch, if possible, and his eyes were clenched so tightly that it was painful. He shook his head, barely hearing his mental rants. _'N-N-No... T-The ceiling's falling, too...! I-I'm going to run out of air...!'_

He started to take ragged and hurried breaths, inhaling sharply each time. Occasionally he would moan deeply while his talons raked across the floor, leaving behind long gashes.

He was pushed to his breaking point, and a piercing shriek erupted from him, echoing through the entire House. He held on to the scream for what seemed like an eternity, though it died away soon enough. It was followed by several more raspy screeches, but those were interrupted as a terrible sound - similar to nails being dragged across a chalkboard - ripped through the air.

Fearfully, Hiei peeked one ruby eye open, his gaze landing on the wall opposite him. It was as if an invisible hand was writing on the surface, though in truth, the words were being carved by themselves.

_Well, we suppose that will have to do.  
__We enjoyed your look of dread.  
__But your cries have awakened the Creature,  
__And you're as good as dead._

As soon as the final word was engraved, the door swung open. However, Hiei remained where he was for several minutes, still trembling violently. His claws had dug into the palms of his hands, leaving many crescent-shaped cuts along them from which blood leaked out of. He whined again, resisting the urge to bury his head in his arms while he gazed at the open door.

'_Hurry... There's an escape! Take it, quickly! Before it disappears!'_

Wasting no time, Hiei leapt to his feet, shaking as he stumbled to the exit. His mind was clouded, unable to comprehend anything until he stopped, hearing the door close behind him softly.

He collapsed against the wall across from it, sweat dripping down his pale face as the terror began to leave him, just enough to let him think clearly. He glanced back to the battered door, whimpering under his breath.

'_What's happening to me...?'_

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**Ending Notes: **Ah, that was a fun chapter to write! The beginning... Gah, I loved it. My favorite quote that came out while writing this... 

"_I'm killing Hiei with linen!"_

I seriously think that this is my favorite story out of everything I've ever written! n.n

Points to anyone that guesses what the Creature is. Here's a hint: It's already been in the story.


	5. Blood Room

**Disclaimer:** **Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi, Shonen Jump, FUNimation, etc. However, I _do _own the idea for this story. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.**

**Warning(s): **This story contains utter horror. I myself had to have help writing a few of the scenes for lack of nerves. I highly suggest that if you can't handle something like this, then you don't read it at all. I will not be held accountable for anything that happens to someone if they do not read this and act without thinking of consequences.

**Opening Notes: **I have to say, I'm thrilled that so many people like this. n.n; Thanks for the reviews, everyone!

Yep, Rujutoshi, I'd have to say that Hiei seemed paranoid at the end, but hey, he just had a mental breakdown... What can you expect? (Even if he's **the** Jaganshi Hiei... Eh heh.) Besides, being paranoid is fun! Especially when it happens to bishounen! n.n

Celestial Paladin, hiyasan, Jade-chan, and Silverwinged-Raven! You all were absolutely correct as to what the Creature is! Thank God, my readers aren't completely stupid! ( 'Kidding, kidding...) Nice try, Raynin and Kousuke, but... nope. n.n;

Jade-chan: I haven't really thought about if Koenma's watching or not... It's not likely, though. But don't worry... Reikai's going to have to check up on him sometime, ne?

Jennifer, deary, the basement is the most terrifying place in **any** horror movie. Would I really use that so soon, or leave it until the end of the story? n.n;

Anyway! Onto the story, ne? This chapter seems rather rushed... Hm...

_Proceed with caution._

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**Shadow House**

**Chapter Five: Blood Room**

**-----**

_As soon as the final word was engraved, the door swung open. However, Hiei remained where he was for several minutes, still trembling violently. His claws had dug into the palms of his hands, leaving many crescent-shaped cuts along them from which blood leaked out of. He whined again, resisting the urge to bury his head in his arms while he gazed at the open door._

'_**Hurry... There's an escape! Take it, quickly! Before it disappears!'**_

_Wasting no time, Hiei leapt to his feet, shaking as he stumbled to the exit. His mind was clouded, unable to comprehend anything until he stopped, hearing the door close behind him softly._

_He collapsed against the wall across from it, sweat dripping down his pale face as the terror began to leave him, just enough to let him think clearly. He glanced back to the battered door, whimpering under his breath._

'_**What's happening to me...?'**_

.-.-.

Hiei bit down on his lip, his eyes shutting for the moment as he tried to calm down. _'I've screwed up too many times... First, I was trapped in here... I let my guard down while that... **thing**... was attacking me, therefore letting it shatter my katana... I lost control up there, too... And I just had a breakdown...'_

A small groan escaped him while he banged his head against the wall, causing a few bits of plaster and dust to fall from the ceiling. He paid no mind to them, instead glancing around the shadowed hallway. _'This place... This House... There's something... strange... about it, even if it's because of an illusion. No demon, no matter how insane they were, would be able to create this... It's too **bizarre**...'_

The Jaganshi took a deep breath before pulling himself up, using the wall behind him for support. After steadying himself, he began to stumble back down the hall, continuing towards the next door that had a ki signature around it. (After all, the sooner he completed this mission, the sooner he would be able to get out of this Hell House.) It was near the end of the floor, almost appearing to be 'excluded' from the rest...

Hiei shook his head. Once again, he was being stupid. With a soft, rather dark chuckle, he strode over to the handle before throwing the door open, letting it crash into the wall beside it.

The room was slightly the same as the one before it. No furnishing or paint, and the floor was made of simple wood. The hiyoukai walked inside, finding that the floorboards were unusually thin, and that they would flex every few steps.

Two of the major differences in the room was that the ceiling was much higher up, and one of the walls was made up of a large bay window. Hiei made his way over to it, looking through the scratched glass. After several seconds he realized that he was gazing at a graveyard, and a very unkempt one at that. Weeds seemed to dominate everything, even having upturned many of the gravestones. Even so, the half-Koorime found that he preferred this room greatly to the one before it. _'How fitting...'_

Hiei had been expecting for the door to slam behind him, but when it did, he couldn't help but jump a bit. With a heavy sigh, he turned around to look at the back of it only to see that there were words carved on this one as well; apparently, it was some sort of 'theme', in a way. He wouldn't have been surprised if there had been writing on the attic's trapdoor, too.

_Welcome to the Blood Room.  
__We hope that you can swim.  
__But knowing you, you can't,  
__So your future's looking grim!_

The Jaganshi read the 'poem' over quickly. His gaze widened for a moment before narrowing. The words were exactly right... He couldn't swim. He despised the water for obvious reasons, as he was a hiyoukai. A lot of water could severely damage a fire apparition, if not worse. For example, just being caught in the rain for a few minutes could lead to hypothermia, among other illnesses. He'd always made sure to keep away from it...

Hiei paused before deciding to speak. The apparent spell placed over these rooms had responded to his scream, after all. "Swimming is of no difficult task. Even a simpering fool such as you can do it..."

Just as he had predicted, several words appeared on one of the other walls, though it was not in the form of a poem or a chant this time; just a simple phrase...

_We think that you're lying._

Hiei didn't have time to react due to the strange scent that suddenly filled his senses. It was metallic, and very heavy...

Blood.

The fire youkai looked around warily, trying to find the source. Nothing was dying, from what he could tell, and he wasn't wounded enough to have it come from him...

His gaze flickered up to the ceiling only to widen considerably. The garnet liquid was cascading from it, dripping down the walls and splattering down overhead. His blinked as a few drops landed on his nose before trickling into his mouth. He quickly spat it out while running over to the door.

As he had thought, it didn't open. Instead, Hiei leapt over to the window, pounding on it as hard as he could. It made no move to give way, and he eventually forced himself to stop, for it was rather pointless.

The blood was beginning to pool around Hiei's feet, and soon it reached up to his knees when the flow increased. It soaked into his cloak, causing the thick material to cling to his skin. He shivered involuntarily; the blood was unnaturally cold, when it should've been heated...

The Jaganshi growled darkly before dashing over to the nearest wall. Without hesitation, he dug his talons into the plaster while kicking the toe of his boot into it as well to create a foothold. He quickly began to climb, wincing as the blood ran over his hands and down his arms. He reached the ceiling soon enough, letting a sigh of relief escape him when he saw that the 'water' level was still far below him.

However, as soon as that thought crossed his mind, the blood began to spill down faster, and before Hiei knew it, the crimson had filled nearly to the top of the window. He looked above him, wondering if there was any way to escape by breaking back into the attic, while subconsciously becoming aware of the panic that started to well up inside of him.

All of a sudden, a jet of blood sprayed into his face, seemingly coming from no where. He yelped as it got into his eyes, causing them to sting horribly. It filled his mouth and overwhelmed his senses; and before he knew what was happened, he had released his grip on the wall.

With a deafening splash, the Jaganshi plummeted to the bottom of the pool of blood, his screams drowned out by the smothering liquid. The garnet was frigid enough that it seemed like it could sear the very flesh off his bones, like a collection of insanely sharp knifes. Shuddering, he tried to kick back to the surface, but his lack of swimming skills and fear seemed to weigh him down.

'_...I-I'm going to drown...! Dammit, think of something!'_

Swearing mentally as his feet brushed the floor, he kicked off, and attempted flailing his arms again. He needed to know how far he was from the surface... Reluctantly, he peeked his eyes open, wincing as the blood burned them. From what he could see, everywhere around him was an ocean of crimson. It was clouded and dense; he couldn't make out anything beyond it.

The hiyoukai started to choke over the blood, his air supply decreasing rapidly, his lungs pleading for oxygen. He squinted, hoping to keep his glare in place as dizziness threatened to consume him.

He began to feel a searing numbness as his mind grew fuzzy and prickling. He found it hard to breathe, and harder to stay awake. With each stroke of his arms, he found it strenuous and difficult to lift them back up. He gasped for air, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest, like a wild bird attempting to break free of the child's hands that bind its wings.

Instantaneously, Hiei fell limp as realization hit him. He hadn't made any progress at all; he was still at the bottom of the room, beneath a lake of blood... The Jaganshi whimpered, paralyzed with fear. He was going to die here... by drowning...

His lungs and heart felt as if they were close to exploding due to the stress on his body. The garnet liquid seemed to be pressing in on him from all sides, trying to crush him into nothing as if he were merely an annoying insect...

Suddenly, a terrible groaning noise filled his ears, somehow traveling through the crimson. The level seemed to drop while a creaking sound came from below the Jaganshi, followed by the sound of splintering wood.

Hiei realized what was happening a second too late, though he quickly tried to scramble sideways in an attempt to grab onto something.

Yet his efforts proved to be in vain, and the floor gave way beneath him and the many gallons of blood.

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**Ending Notes: **Wow, is it just me, or were last two chapters rather short? o.o; Oh well. It's a short story; what can you expect?

I'd like to thank a friend of mine (you know who you are) for help with the drowning scene. n.n; I ran out of things to have Hiei do halfway through, and she helped, so... yeah!


End file.
